System and method for transitioning between receiving different compressed media streams

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9654531-B2
Application number	US-201314133352-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2013
Priority date	Aug 1, 2013
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A computer system receives a first compressed media stream and stores corresponding data in a first compressed buffer. The computer system generates a first decompressed media stream based on the first compressed media stream. While providing the first decompressed media stream to a presentation device, the computer system receives a content-transition indication indicating that a second decompressed media stream is to be provided to the presentation device instead of the first decompressed media stream. While continuing to generate the first decompressed media stream using the first compressed buffer, the computer system receives a second compressed media stream corresponding to the second decompressed media stream and stores corresponding data in a second compressed buffer. After storing the data in the second compressed buffer, the computer system provides a second decompressed media stream, based on the second compressed media stream, to the presentation device instead the first decompressed media stream.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
at a computer system including one or more processors and memory:
receiving a first compressed media stream from a media source;
storing first data corresponding to the first compressed media stream in a first compressed buffer;
generating a first decompressed media stream based on the first compressed media stream;
providing the first decompressed media stream to a presentation device;
while providing the first decompressed media stream to the presentation device, receiving a content-transition indication indicating that a second decompressed media stream is to be provided to the presentation device instead of the first decompressed media stream;
in response to receiving the content-transition indication, ceasing to receive the first compressed media stream from the media source;
after ceasing to receive the first compressed media stream from the media source, continuing to provide the first decompressed media stream using the first data stored in the first compressed buffer;
determining a quantity of data of a second compressed media stream for downloading as buffered media, wherein the second compressed media stream corresponds to the second decompressed media stream and the quantity of data is based on:
a target play time of the buffered media;
and a bit rate of the second compressed media stream;

determining a predicted buffering time that it will take to buffer the second compressed media stream based on:
the quantity of data; and
bandwidth available for receiving the second compressed media stream;

selecting a transition point for the second compressed media stream based on the predicted buffering time;
while continuing to provide the first decompressed media stream using the first data stored in the first compressed buffer:
receiving the second compressed media stream corresponding to the second decompressed media stream starting at the transition point; and
storing second data corresponding to the second compressed media stream in a second compressed buffer; and

after storing the second data corresponding to the second compressed media stream in the second compressed buffer, providing the second decompressed media stream, based on the second compressed media stream, to the presentation device instead of providing the first decompressed media stream to the presentation device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the first decompressed media stream based on the first compressed media stream includes:
receiving the first compressed media stream;
decrypting the first compressed media stream;
demultiplexing the first compressed media stream;
storing decrypted and demultiplexed first compressed media stream data in the first compressed buffer; and
decompressing the first compressed media stream data using a first codec to generate the first decompressed media stream.

3. The method of claim 1 , further including:
prior to receiving the content-transition indication, storing a first amount of decompressed media stream data; and
after receiving the content-transition indication, storing a second amount of decompressed media stream data that is larger than the first amount of decompressed media stream data.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first decompressed media stream is generated using a first codec;
the second decompressed media stream is generated using a second codec; and
the method further includes initializing the second codec after the first codec has stopped decompressing compressed media so that no more than one codec is decompressing compressed media at a time.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the content-transition indication includes detecting user input selecting a media content affordance associated with requesting presentation of the second decompressed media stream.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving the content-transition indication includes detecting a decrease in the bandwidth available for receiving media streams at the computer system;
the method includes transmitting, to a media source, a request for a lower bandwidth version of content corresponding to the first decompressed media stream; and
the second compressed media stream is received in response to the request.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving the content-transition indication includes detecting an increase in the bandwidth available for receiving media streams at the computer system;
the method includes transmitting, to a media source, a request for a higher bandwidth version of content corresponding to the first decompressed media stream; and
the second compressed media stream is received in response to the request.

8. The method of claim 1 , further including, after generating at least a portion of the second decompressed media stream, cross fading first content from the first decompressed media stream with second content from the second decompressed media stream.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first compressed media stream corresponds to source content and the second compressed media stream corresponds to the same source content.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first compressed media stream and the second compressed media stream correspond to different source content.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the transition point is a second transition point;
the method further includes, in response to receiving the content-transition indication, selecting a first transition point in first content corresponding to the first compressed media stream; and
providing the second decompressed media stream to the presentation device instead of providing the first decompressed media stream to the presentation device includes ceasing to provide the first content at the first transition point.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the first transition point is selected based on the second transition point.

13. The method of claim 12 , further including:
identifying a plurality of candidate transition points in the second compressed media stream;
wherein selecting the transition point based on the predicted buffering time comprises selecting the second transition point from the plurality of candidate transition points.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the method further includes, after selecting the second transition point, requesting the second compressed media stream starting at the second transition point.

15. The method of claim 11 , further including:
after selecting the first transition point, terminating receipt of the first compressed media stream after receiving data corresponding to the first transition point.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the first content includes video content that is divided into a first plurality of groups of frames;
the second transition point is selected in second content that includes video content that is divided into a second plurality of groups of frames;
the first transition point in the first content is selected so as to occur at a boundary of a first group of frames in the first plurality of groups of frames; and
the second transition point in the second content is selected so as to occur at a boundary of a second group of frames in the second plurality of groups of frames.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
the first transition point corresponds to an end of a scene in the first decompressed media stream; and
the second transition point corresponds to a beginning of a scene in the second decompressed media stream.

18. A computer system, th

Assignees

• Spotify Ab

Inventors

• Hoffert Eric
• Strigeus Ludvig
• Oman Andreas
• Arvidsson Oskar

Classifications

• H04L65/604

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N21/44008

  involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream (arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59) · CPC title

• H04L65/607

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L65/60 Primary

  Network streaming of media packets · CPC title

• H04L65/4084

  Electricity · mapped topic